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Dad clears his throat before responding to me. “This means your power is strengthened by the energy your mates provide.”

“He’s talking about sex,” Leli says with a grin.

“Leli,” Striker scolds her again, making her giggle.

“Oh, also there are some things that make you more powerful, like…”

“Please don’t,” Dad says, cutting her off. “Just… tell her later.” Leli cackles at his request, making me laugh with her.

“Alright,” Leli says. “I’ll tell her all the parts you all are being too weird to say.”

“I am so confused,” I admit.

“I’m not,” Daemon laughs, making Callum and Kael chuckle.

“For the love of the gods,” Dad says. “Please wait to explain. There are some things in life that a father shouldn’t have to explain to his little girl.”

“I am your youngest?” I ask, changing the subject before someone makes me blush again.

“You are,” he says. “After I felt her passing… I put everything into finding you, and I was just so heartbroken from losing the two of you that I was never willing to commit to anyone else again.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” I say with a frown.

“God, you are just like her,” he says with a sad smile. “She would take on the weight of the world but still apologize.”

“I don’t think I do that,” I say.

“Yeah, you do,” Daemon says.

“Lilith, you have been through so much in your life… The fact that you still have empathy for others shows just how amazing you are,” Dad says. “But I am here now to take on as much of that weight as I can.”

“I appreciate that,” I say. “So, Mom had mentioned a prophecy. Leli mentioned it also. I still don’t know what it is, outside of the vision I had.”

“What was the vision of?” Dad asks.

“Uhm… A war,” I say. “A bad one.”

“Okay… How about this?” Dad says. “Let’s get you four settled. Tomorrow morning, we can start at the beginning, and I’ll explain everything in a bit more detail.”

“Okay,” I say with a smile.

“You’ll be staying with us,” Dad says. “If that’s okay.”

“Yeah. That’s fine,” I say. “We packed in a hurry, so there are a lot of things we will need to buy, but we can handle that tomorrow.”

“I’ll take care of anything you all need,” he says.

“Let’s go home. I miss my bed,” Leli says.

We walk into Dad’s house, and we set our stuff down for a moment. “So, Leli told me that there was a portal that you could open so I can get to the library?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says. “Do you want me to open it tonight?”

“Yeah, I just found a letter among some random items in a chest that I need to have translated. Leli said someone here would be able to read it,” I say.

“Yeah, we can do that now,” he says. “Volis, can you go get your mother’s necklace, please?”

“Yeah,” he says. He goes down the hallway and disappears into a room.

“I’ll show you where it is,” he says. “You are all welcome to come, but she’s going to have to be the one to do the spell. She needs to be able to concentrate.”

“Me?” I ask.

“Mhmm,” he says. “Only a high witch can open or close a portal like this at will without another from your coven. Your mother was able to use the portal because she was pregnant with you.”

“Ah,” I say simply.

“You’ll be great,” he says with an encouraging smile. “Come on.” I follow him through the house, and we stop outside a door to wait on Volis. “There is an updated library with newer books right next to this, so you are free to use it or anything else in the house.”

“I appreciate this, Dad,” I say.

He smiles brightly and hugs me. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear that,” he says softly.

“You’re going to make me cry again,” I sniff. He chuckles and kisses my forehead.

“Let’s do this,” he says as he takes the necklace from Volis when he approaches.

Dad opens the door to the room, and we all walk in. The room is made up of solid brick. He gestures for me to stand in front of a wall that has runes carved into the brick. Together they form an oval on the wall.

“That’s Mom’s?” I ask.

“It is,” he says as he steps behind me to put the necklace on me. “It’s yours now.”

“You don’t want to keep it? I’m sure it brought you good memories of her,” I say.

“Lilith, I have you now,” he says. “I don’t need the necklace to remind me of her when I see her every time I look at you.”

“There is one in the chest in there,” I say. “I am positive that you are meant to keep it after this portal is opened.”

“I’ll leave it up to you,” he says with a smile. “Alright. Are you ready?”

“Yea!” I say happily.

“Okay. Trace each rune starting from the top and moving clockwise. Leave the center for last. Think only of the library. This is very important because you will end up somewhere else if you aren’t thinking of the library,” he says. “When you trace the rune in the center, say Advectus .”

“Okay. Clockwise and leave the center for last. Think of the library and don’t fuck up,” I say.

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “You’ve got this, Lilith.”

Dad steps back to give me space. I close my eyes and take a deep breath so I can focus. When I open my eyes, I take a step forward and start tracing the runes. I start at the top and work my way clockwise like he told me to do. I keep the library in the forefront of my mind, and I trace the last rune I say the word, “ Advectus.”

The brick inside the runes swirls until it distorts into something that resembles frosted glass with ripples moving through its surface. “Woah! I did it!” I say happily as I sprint around to look at Dad.

“Good job,” he says proudly.

“Can I?” I ask.

“Yeah. Go ahead,” he says.

I walk up to the frosted glass and test it first by reaching out to touch its surface. My hand easily slips through the portal, so I take a step in. Suddenly I am in the back of the library. This space was once a blank wall but now has a giant frosted glass oval on the wall.

Everyone steps through the portal, and Dad instantly becomes emotional. It doesn’t even register that he hasn’t been here since Mom was alive. “Are you okay?” I ask him.

“Yeah,” he says softly. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“The chest is over here,” I say. I turn and walk to the table where we left it. When I open it, I take the letter out and hand it to Dad.

MAZVYN FLASHBACK

23 Years Ago

I have been pacing this room for the last two hours, waiting for Ashara to come back through the portal. The more time passes, the more nervous I become. She is too far along to be doing things like this, but I understand that it was necessary. Knowing the life our child will have, combined with pregnancy hormones, she was insistent on being there. She felt like she had to leave the Book of Shadows.

I snap my head to the portal when I see it start to close. “No!” I yell out as if she can hear me. I run to the portal right as a slip of paper flits through and the portal closes. In its close, the brick returns, and I can see the neatly carved runes again.

I pick up the slip of paper and go to my knees when I see Ashara’s handwriting. She’s writing in Old Voldarian. She would only do that if she was in danger.

She’s not coming back. The sudden realization that I lost my wife and my daughter hits me, and I scream out as it physically pains me to think about it. I won’t rest until I get her back. I may be too late to save Ashara, but I will find my little girl. I will bring her home where she belongs.

“Your mom wrote this,” he says quietly.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s her handwriting. I have the other portion of this letter. It came through the portal as it was closing.”

“What happened?” I ask softly. He looks like he’s going to burst into tears at any moment.

“I felt her die,” he says tearfully as he plays through the memory in his head. “She was my mate, and I felt her slip away.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say. “I couldn’t imagine feeling any of the guys die. I don’t know if I could survive that.”

“I almost didn’t,” he says. “The part of the letter that I have is addressed to you. I knew she would have only written it the way she did if she knew you’d survive. If it wasn’t for her sending that to make sure I knew that you were alive… I might have given up a long time ago.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” I say. “And that goes beyond what you are doing to help me. I am genuinely happy that you chose to stay.” Instead of responding, he just hugs me tightly again.

“What is all of the rest of this stuff?” Striker asks, looking in the box.

“Uh. I’m not sure. Just some random stuff,” I say. “There is another necklace in there, a knife, a crown, and a cup.”

“Let’s get you settled in and we can go over everything tomorrow,” Dad says.

“I’ll work on translating both this evening,” Grandma Arieana says.

“You never translated the first one?” I ask.

“No,” she says. “It was meant for you. As much as we wanted to, we did not want to translate it until you were back with us.”

“Oh. Okay,” I say. I’m not sure what to say to that.

“We can leave the portal open since the library remains hidden. When it is time for you to go home, we can go through here,” Dad says.

“You’re coming back with us?” I ask.

“Yes. Striker, Volis, and Leli will be coming with me,” he says.

“You have a child, Striker.”

“Who will be in the hands of very capable people. I know if something were to happen to me, she would grow up surrounded by wonderful people. We lost you before we ever got to meet you, and I’m not gonna sit here and let it happen again. So, any intentions you had of going up against this alone, get rid of them. We are going to help you with this.”

“Do you really want to do that to your child? Do you know what it was like wishing every single day that I had at least one parent?” I argue. Striker sighs and puts his hands on my shoulders.

“Lilith, I understand being stubborn is a hereditary trait, but get over it. We are going to help, and you just have to accept it. You are about to have to fight in an actual war against people who want to hurt you. If risking my life means that you don’t have to go through anything you went through before, I will happily stand with you. You are my little sister. You deserve to have a life with your family. I’ve had my entire life with them, and we just got you back,” Striker begins to say.

“I can’t let people die for me,” I say tearfully.

“You aren’t letting us do anything, Lilith. I understand that the concept of having a family or having people truly care about you and your well-being is still new. Even with your mates, I’m sure that, at times, you question them and their motives. Understand that this is what family does. It doesn’t matter if it’s by blood or one you create with loved ones and close friends. You show up when it matters, and you fight when they need someone in their corner. I do not doubt that you could handle this by yourself, but we won’t let you face it alone,” Striker says before hugging me.

“It’s just new,” I say. “I’m used to being alone.”

“I know, but now you have Volis, Leli, and me to annoy you for the rest of your life,” he says.

“Now we have more help to gang up on Dad and tease him,” Leli laughs.

“You test my patience, Leli,” Dad says.

“You love me,” she grins.

“I do, but let’s get them settled,” he says. “Lilith, everyone knows not to touch this portal. It is safe. Tomorrow, I’ll go over everything.”

“All of it, or should I plan on Leli explaining the parts you’re too afraid to say to me?” I ask, and Leli giggles.

“Joking aside,” Leli says. “If you want it to be accurate information, it’s best you explain everything. There is a lot you never told me.”

“Fine,” he sighs. “Tomorrow, I’ll tell you. For now, you need to get some rest.”

“Okay,” I laugh.

We all go back through the portal and back to the living room where our bags are sitting. We grab our stuff and go upstairs. Leli goes ahead of us and enters a room at the end of the hall, and Dad gestures for us to follow her.

When we enter the room, I see there is a large bed centered in front of a large picture window that faces a gorgeous mountain range covered in a dense forest. There is a door that leads into a large bathroom on one side of the room. The other side of the room has a door that leads into a closet.

“Your grandmother made sure anything you guys would need is in the bathroom or the closet. Just let me know if there is anything else,” Dad says.

“Did someone make the room soundproof, or should I expect to have to wear earplugs?” Leli asks. I blush hard, and Daemon chuckles before pulling me closer and kissing me.

“Leli,” Dad sighs. “Do you have to do that?”

“Yes,” she says simply. “Is it?”

“Yes, every bedroom in the house is soundproof, so long as the door is shut,” Dad says.

“And here I thought I’d have to keep you quiet tonight,” Daemon whispers in my ear before kissing my cheek. When I turn to look at him, he winks.

“Hush,” I say to Daemon with a grin.

“And that’s my cue to leave,” Volis says. “Lilith, we love you, and we are happy you are here, but for the love of the Gods… Keep your door shut.” He hugs me tightly, followed by Striker and Leli doing the same.

“I will,” I laugh. Everyone leaves the room, but Dad stops short of the door and turns back to me.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, Lilith,” he says. “If I had known how bad it was…”

“I know. You would have gotten yourself killed trying to get to me,” I say. “Then I’d really be an orphan.”

“Sleep well, Lilith,” he says, hugging me again. “Love you, kid.”

“Love you too, Dad,” I say when he pulls away.

When he steps out, Kael shuts the door. I walk over and sit on the bed. I am so stressed, but I’m trying to keep myself calm. The last thing I need is to have a nervous breakdown because I can’t handle everything. What kind of queen would I be if every time something big came up, I shut down? Callum sits beside me, and I lay my head on his shoulder.

“What are you thinking?” Callum asks.

“That I’m stressed out,” I say.

“Anything we can do?” Daemon asks.

“Make my brain shut up,” I say with a chuckle.

“Okay,” he says as he grabs my hands and stands me up.

“Okay, what?” I ask.

“We are going to make your brain shut up,” he says. “Trust us?”

“You know I do,” I say.

“Good. Get undressed,” Daemon says as he walks over to my bag. I watch him for a second, and he pulls my scarf out of my bag.

“What are you going to do, strangle me?” I ask and he laughs.

“No, although that would definitely shut your brain up,” Daemon says. “It’s just sensory deprivation.”

“Meaning?” I ask as I pull my shirt off.

“Meaning no seeing or hearing. Just feeling,” he says. “I’ll play gray noise into headphones to help you tune everything out.”

“Sounds overwhelming,” I admit.

“It’s not,” Kael says. “Just focus on your breathing and relax.”

“Okay,” I smile. I step out of my shorts, leaving me naked. Daemon ties the scarf around my eyes before putting headphones on me. When the gray noise starts, it’s soothing. I thought it would freak me out to not know what’s going on around me, but it’s comforting to give myself over to them completely.

As one of them lies me down on the bed, I focus on taking slow breaths in and slow breaths out. My body is relaxed, and my mind takes a break. For the first time, my mind is silent. There are no longer racing thoughts trying to fight their way to the front. The constant worry slips away. There isn’t any negativity or positivity. My emotions are neutral and centered perfectly. I have been lying here for a while now, and it’s blissful to feel this relaxed.

Fingertips gently trail from my ankle up my body. The touch is soft and hardly there, but enough to bring goosebumps to the surface as a chill sweeps across my skin. Someone stands by my head and starts gently massaging my shoulders. Two light touches start at my ankles. The feeling of the touch on my left ankle is as cold as ice, whereas the feeling on my right is the exact opposite. The scalding heat and the frigid cold move up my legs in perfect synchrony. The hands on my shoulders slowly work their way to the back of my neck. I groan when the hands press on the muscles of my neck, as the opposing temperatures glide over my hips and move up my belly. Every inch of my body is buzzing.

The hot and cold pressure drags across my nipples, and I gasp. Something flips in my head, and I go from relaxed to aroused instantly. The cold travels down one arm while the heat moves down the other until they both disappear once they reach my wrists. Lips press against mine, and I immediately bring my hands to their face and kiss them back. I know right away that it’s Callum when I feel his locks, as I move my hands to the back of his neck when I pull him closer. Hands part my thighs as Callum shifts slightly, having me turn my head to not break our kiss.

Warm hands knead my breasts before moving down my sides. I can’t tell who it is, but he is massaging oil into my skin. His hands are slick against me as he glides over me as if memorizing every inch of my body. Another set of hands slide up my inner thighs before spreading me open even wider for them.

I moan into Callum’s kiss when someone drags their tongue slowly across my clit. The combination of stimulation piles on fast when Callum pulls away from our kiss.

Strong arms wrap around my thighs and pull me closer as he sucks my clit hard. Simultaneously, mouths close around my nipples before nipping and begin suckling and lightly nipping me. Moans and whimpers flood out of me as I involuntarily buck my hips. They tighten their hold on me to keep me still, and the restraint heightens what I am feeling. The more I focus on trying to relax, the more my body trembles.

I am panting and whimpering as pressure builds in my belly. My heart palpitates as it rapidly pumps my blood through my veins. It rushes to the tips of my fingers, bringing tingles to the surface along its path. My body is still shaking as an impending climax looms. Fingers dig into my thighs as he keeps a tight hold on my legs, when surges of pleasure start to ripple through me.

Everything is building to a peak so high that it traps my moans in my throat. I arch deeply the sensations beginning to boil over. A groan slips through and makes room for the floodgates to open. My orgasm crashes through me, and I cry out my pleasures. My body convulses from the force of my muscles trembling at my release.

The headphones and blindfold are pulled off me as Kael pulls me onto him. I gasp as he surges into me with urgency. Callum acts with equal urgency as he pushes into my ass. They both start moving at the same time, and it makes my brain melt at the feelings that rush through me.

“Fuck, you take us so well,” Kael groans as Callum pulls me back against his chest as they fuck me harder.

Callum wraps his hand around my throat and lightly squeezes as Kael rubs my clit. They are both slamming into me, pulling screams out of me as rapid-fire orgasms punch through me. Callum abruptly cuts off my air completely as another orgasm builds. Instead of falling into it, it continues to grow and burn in my belly as it waits to flood out of me.

“Come for us, Lilith,” Callum whispers in my ear. “Show us how much you like the way we make you scream.” When he loosens his grip and oxygen floods back into my brain, I instantly fall into a loud moan. All my muscles clench around them, dragging them with me.

Daemon plucks me away from them as soon as they pull out of me. He lays me on my back and brings my legs up to his shoulders. “Just how bright will you shine for me, little witch?” he asks as he pushes into me.

“Oh, fuck,” I gasp. “Oh, please. Hard.”

Daemon slams his cocks into me with enough force to make my eyes water as moans slip free. He leans into my body, folding me as he fucks me with force. This full feeling consumes every thought in my head and again traps the noises of my intense pleasure in my throat. Daemon is relentless in the way he fucks me, pushing deeper with every stroke.

Daemon groans deeply when I suddenly scream out as something much larger than I’ve felt before forces its way into me. The back-to-back orgasms fueled this raging fire hiding inside of me.

Now that it’s found its way out, the feeling thrusts me into a vision of darkness. I see myself standing in the middle of a solid concrete room with my wrists bound in chains and pulled above my head. The restraint is secured to a hook in the ceiling, and I am stripped naked. Blood-red stripes paint my back from my shoulders to my thighs. I can feel how weak I am mentally, physically, and spiritually. I sense a presence in the room, but they don’t reveal themselves in my vision. I am dazed, but not confused. I may be weak, but I am not broken. This vision reveals the horrors that I will face, but it inspires me to find the light on the other side of the torture I am to endure. The vision releases its hold on me as I relax into the bed when Daemon pulls out of me.

There is no way I am going to tell them that my future is to get beaten while bound nude in an empty room. I don’t want to explain that. I didn’t have to see it happen to know that someone will rape me again. They will ask questions to try and find a way to prevent it. Much like the prophecy, I know this is bound to happen. No matter what I do, this has to happen, and I must endure it. The quicker I understand and accept this, the more I can train and prepare myself so that I can find a way out of that concrete room.

I don’t have the luxury of sorting through my feelings. There is no time for emotion in war. My job now is to push it all aside and fight for the survival of everyone, not just myself. This is far bigger than me, but I am the last hope for salvation.